


Magnum Opus

by exoplanetpower



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Aesthetics, Art, Byun Baekhyun is a Little Shit, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, French Kissing, Modern Art, Mystery, Photography, Platonic Cuddling, Romance, Sleepy Kisses, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Thriller, With A Twist, You work for a magazine company, kai is an art thot, mysterious and sweet kai, photographer!kai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-09-07 14:40:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 21,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16855873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exoplanetpower/pseuds/exoplanetpower
Summary: " 𝘵𝘶 𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴. "" 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙚. "𝘈 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮.





	1. p r o l o g u e

 

_P r o l o g u e_

❅

_**"  Lie your head on the rock and listen to the quiet of the stream...** _

_**Let me touch you in this dream.  "** _

  ✧   _ **  
**_

  ❆  

✧

✧

  ❆  

  ✧  

   _Perhaps_

 life isn't about falling in love.

It is the 21st century, 

And it seems appearances outweigh personalities.

➴

                     _why?_

With years of this hollow loneliness inside,

 This gaping void of nothingness,

I am finally tired.

I've tried everything. 

 _Said_  everything. 

 _Wore_  everything. 

I've been someone else. I've been  _myself_

Maybe I'm just not cut out to find love.

Maybe I melt when I hit the surface of warmth.

A flake of snow ❅

Maybe I am too cold, too early...

_Perhaps..._

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

 

❅ **  
**

 

❅ **  
**

 

❅ **  
**

 

❅ **  
**

 

❅ **  
**

 

❆    ** _I am simply looking through the wrong lens._** ❆

_ Company and organization names are all made up. Any correlations to real life are merely coincidences. I do not own Kim Jongin or EXO (the group which he is from). He is not really a photographer, but a performer. This story holds mature content and mentions of violence that may not be suitable to a younger audience. _

_ This story is also reader interactive, as the main character is yourself. If you are not familiar with this concept, please utilize the key below for reference  _ ⇣

**_Y/N_** ↝  _your name_

 ** _L/N_** ↝  _your last name_

_ This story was on Fanfiction.net but I took it down in 2017. I have decided to rewrite it here, with some visuals to enhance each chapter. This story is also available to read on Wattpad @SeraSki.  _

**_enjoy the story_** ✿

 


	2. Rouge

In the early hours of the day, you will find me at my desk.

Thinking and searching. Reading and writing. Blinking and yawning.

I snagged a job here right after college. And I guess I should consider myself lucky.  _Majesty Inc._ may not have the most famous magazine in the country, but it is an honest and contemporary workplace. And they pay me well enough to support my decision to live alone.

As if I haven't had enough isolation already.

In college, I guess you could say I tried to get a boyfriend. I spent an extra hour on my makeup and hair every morning, and an extra year on my personality. But nothing works. Guys say they want someone pure and genuine, but that's not true. At least, not for me. Pure and genuine me isn't pretty. Pure and genuine me doesn't like excessive makeup, or spending a whole fucking hour on my hair.

_Pure and genuine me is stuck, trying to find herself, as she writes pages and pages about people who are successful and happy. People who can be themselves and still appear perfect._

_"Y/N!"_ My editor calls me from her office door. I sigh, pushing myself off of the office chair, my butt sore from sitting too long as I make my way over to her office: 

She holds the door open for me as I walk in:

"Please take a seat."

I do as she instructs, sitting on the plush sofa right in front of her desk. She takes a seat on her dark executive chair behind her desk after closing the door. Her arms cross, as she narrows her eyes at me.

She is stunning. Her hair is straight but she curls it every morning. Her eyes are dark, but they appear brighter and fuller with the light color she places on her inner corner and the false lashes that bat elegantly when she blinks. The tip of her nose shines modestly, as her cheeks glitter prominently. Her lips are small, but she has enhanced them to another level with velvety crimson lip-paint.

_"Y/N."_

"Hm?" I snap out of my line of thought.

She exhales gently and adjusts her glasses as she scoots closer to her desk and starts looking through a few papers:

"I called you here today to congratulate you on the consistent success of your column in  _Magnum Opus._ " She says with her monotonous tone.

I smile faintly and nod towards her gratuitously:

"Thank you."

"With this in mind, I have decided to assign you to one of our latest additions in  _Magnum Opus:_ The journalism sector. It's rather small, but we are hoping to expand it in the future."

I freeze for a moment, filled with a combination of shock and confusion:

"Journalism sector?" I squint, "You mean, like...interviews and stuff?"

"Precisely."

I pause and frown, feeling a bit uncomfortable just leaving behind what I have been doing for a more journalistic occupation:

"Ma'am, I'm honored but..." I stammer as I try to search for the correct words "I don't think I'm suitable for such a-"

"It's triple of what you are making right now. But if you don't want to do it, I can find someone else..." She says bluntly, not an ounce of emotion or sentiment in her eyes.

My heart almost stops as my eyes widen:

"T-Triple?!"

"Yes. But it's fine if you are _too busy..._ "

"Wait! I accept!" I reply without any further hesitation.

A heartless smile extends across her face:

"Excellent. Your first interview is tomorrow morning. You have tonight to prepare something. You will be interviewing  **Kim Jongin.** " She says quickly, gathering up all of her papers.

"Kim Jongin?" I repeat, feeling a rush of nervousness. I had never even heard of him before. And I had only tonight to prepare something?!

She looks at me with a scary glance:

"If you fail me, I will not hesitate to replace you." Her voice goes an octave lower, causing me to shudder in my seat as she stares me down with those dark eyes of hers.

I want to ask more questions about who exactly I'll be interviewing but before I can even begin to process what is happening, she stands up and fixes her grey blazer:

_"You may be excused from my office now."_

I walk out of her door with a gigantic rock of stress encompassing my heart as I make my way over to my cubicle. But without wasting anymore time, I begin to look up this Kim Jongin guy on my computer. . . 

     

It says that he is an aspiring photographer, fresh out of college like myself. I skip the stuff about his background and go straight to the gallery of photos he's taken. I want to start with his style. What kind of photos he takes and what kind of business he does.

However, I find that he has only one published set so far: his  _first_ project. It's a wedding campaign, with some of the most stunning European brides in frilly clothing, with flushed cheeks and bright blue eyes. I check the popularity of the project and it completely shocks me. He has amazing rates for his first campaign. He was young and promising, no wonder  _Majesty Inc._ is so eager for an insider on him. I really can't mess this up now...

The hours fly by as I take notes and research further into Kim Jongin. But there isn't much, because he's new to the photography world, so for the other half of the night I research how to conduct a successful interview and not have it end up a complete disaster.

In a few hours, I realize that everyone had gone home early. I finish typing up the lame interview questions for tomorrow, before sticking my pages of notes in my bag. I get up from my desk and stretch. The office was quiet at night when there was nobody around, and sometimes I wished I could just sleep in my cubicle. I gathered my things and turned off all of the lights before making my way out of the building.

The night air was cold as it hit my cheeks. I wrapped my coat tighter around myself as I made my way home. It wasn't so far of a walk, so that was always nice. But I hate having to walk home alone at night. Especially in such cold weather...

I see a few bats fly over, and shudder at the eerie sight. It was a spooky night. The moon was almost yellow and the clouds had a purplish tint to them. My feet pick up in pace, as I slowly begun to feel a presence behind me. But sometimes I'm just paranoid, and it gets the best of me. Maybe tonight was one of those moments. 

I suddenly halt on my walking for just a moment, to see if it was just my mind playing tricks on me, but loud and clear, I hear a set of footsteps delayed from mine. My eyes widen and my curiosity gets the best of me. I turn around quickly, but there's nothing there.

_Could it have just been my imagination?_

I end up running the rest of the way home.


	3. Lady Late

**_Beep...Beep...Beep..._ **

My eyelids that were so heavy with the desire to just ditch the world and sleep, begin to open. I blink a few times, the ringing of my annoying alarm finally getting through my ears. I slap the alarm and stay in bed for just five more minutes. After the five minutes that I wasn't even counting, I finally sit up and squint to look at what time it is.

 **8:36**   **am**

_How the fuck did five minutes turn into thirty?!_

I don't even have to time to be nervous for this damn interview as I get off my bed and try to shower and get ready as fast as I can. I'm supposed to meet the guy in my editor's office at approximately  **9:00 am** , and I have less than thirty minutes to compose myself and look mildly presentable.

My hair is wet as I stab the blow-dryer cord into the outlet and dry my hair while I try to find out what to wear. I end up with something I would usually wear to an ordinary day at work. I slip on my shoes and stuff my bag with all the papers I had been studying all night.

I look at myself in the bathroom mirror, ignoring all the makeup I haven't used in months. I check my face for a pimple but there aren't any today so I thank the gods above, if there even are any, watching over the mess that I am. I run to work looking like a hot mess, hoping that I'm not late and also realizing that I forgot to eat something.

When I arrive, I am even more the mess that I was before. It is  **8:58**   **am**  and I use the two minutes left to go into the ladies room in an attempt to fix myself one more time. I make it to my editor's office at exactly  **9:00 am**  barging in through the door with an apology already coming out of my mouth as I bow to her.

But what I fail to notice is the photographer who had already arrived. He was sitting there in front of her desk, as she sat in her prominent executive chair. I fixed my posture, and they both stood up.

"Mister Kim, this is Y/N" She gestures towards me, " _She may not look like it_ , but she is my most successful columnist, and the individual that will be conducting your interview this morning."

Ouch.

"Hi." I extend my hand out for him to shake.

My editor gives me a weird look. But this is what I read last night about the first step to a successful interview!

" _Hi_." He shakes my hand with a curious look.

"The interview will be in the meeting room. Please, follow me." I tell him, as I nod my head towards my editor who gives me a glare that is warning me not to screw this one up.

I walk towards the meeting room, and hold the door open for him to go inside. He walks through and takes a seat. I shut the door behind me and scurry over to sit in front of him. I bring my little bag over with me and pull out my papers. He sits quietly and folds his hands over his lap, watching me patiently.

My nerves start to kick in as I gulp and find the first set of questions I had typed up last night. There were so many typos in them. I take out my notepad and click my pen getting ready to jot down his answers.

When I finish setting everything up, I avert my gaze from the papers and look at him:

"S-So..."

He is looking at me with shiny eyes and it only works to make me even more anxious. I smile widely and try to appear very friendly and outgoing. Something I will never be.

"Welcome Mister Kim. My name is Y/N, and I...will be conducting your interview this morning."

"You can call me Jongin." He says casually.

"Jongin..." I nod slowly, looking down at my first question that I had already forgotten, "Umm...so... _ah yes_! I wanted to start off by asking  _if you had any pets_?"

He looks slightly surprised, his eyes wide:

" _Pets_?"

I shake my head, feeling like I messed up:

"S-Sorry, I'll ask you something else..."

"N-No! It's okay. I was just surprised!" He laughs lightly.

"Oh." I sigh with relief and laugh with him awkwardly.

"It's just a weird question to start off an interview. Usually people ask about my photography, or like... _what kind of girls I'm into_." He explains.

"Really?" I raise an eyebrow.

He nods, "But to answer your question: I have a dog."

I nod slowly and begin to jot down his answer carefully on the notepad, he watches me with a little chuckle. I stop writing and look at him, but he quickly pretends to look elsewhere. I brush it off as nothing, before resuming my writing. When I finish, I clear my throat nervously:

" _Next question: One food item you would take with you to a deserted island_?"

. . .

  
" _What kind of questions are these?_ " He laughs, muttering to himself.

"Y-You don't like them?" I frown.

"I mean, no it's not that...they're just weird." He says.

My heart begins to race. I'm messing up and doing the opposite of everything I stayed up studying last night:

"I-I'll find something else to..."

I look down at the papers I had prepared and scan through all of the questions I had made up, but for some reason now I feel like they're all weird. They're not professional, and neither am I. My body tenses up and I just freeze, at a loss for words.

" _Hey_." He says, snapping me out of my internal panic. He leans a bit closer, " _Is this your first interview?_ "

Shit.

"Uhh... _no_." I lie.

He rolls his eyes playfully, a little smile on his lips:

"My favorite food is chicken. I would take  _chicken_  with me to a deserted island."

I bite my lip and hesitate a little, before picking up my pen and jotting down his answer with shame.

He snatches my papers.

"Hey!" I drop my pen and try to get them back but he scoots his chair away.

" _What is your favorite car insurance company?_ " He starts laughing as he reads my questions, " _What would you do if you were abducted by aliens?_ "

"Ugh, just give it back, I already know I fucked-" I quickly cover my mouth, but it's a little too late. He freezes, as his eyes widen.

**Rule #1 to every interviewer out there. Cussing is strictly forbidden.**


	4. A Contrasting Beauty

"You cussed..." He says quietly, his eyes wide with shock.

My heart sinks in my chest, as I feel tears begin to well up in my eyes. I literally had one job today, and that was to ask some random guy a few questions, yet somehow I found a way to mess even this up. This could cost me my job,  _my life!_

Suddenly, he starts laughing like crazy, covering his mouth as if he had been holding it in the entire time. The tears had already slipped my eyes, but I was more confused now rather than sad as I watched him with horror.

" _You're so funny, jagiya..._ "

His recovers from his laughter after a few minutes, as I was still staring at him with horror. He finally notices my state of panic, and his expression softens:

" _Oh_ ," He he smiles softly, as he scoots his chair closer to me, " _Why are you crying?_ "

I quickly wipe my eyes and shake my head:

"I am  _so sorry_  for how unprofessional this interview is..." I apologize wholeheartedly, feeling intense guilt and regret for not spending more time on preparation. He is silent for a while, not saying anything as I hang my head down in shame, staring at the old shoes on my feet. But after a few moments, he says something strange, and he says it quietly:

"It's okay. It's  _refreshing_."

I am a bit surprised as I look up from my feet to meet his gaze and gentle smile towards me. I am thinking more and more about other things now. Things that I promised myself I would let go of.

"Shall we start over?" He asks, pushing my papers back over to me, a playful glitter in his eyes.

I bite my bottom lip and nod, composing myself quickly. I gather the papers and clear my throat, as I resume the interview with the most professional mannerism I can pull off for the morning.

And he is decently compliant. He answers all of my crazy questions and ends up providing me with an abundance of answers. The hour flies by and I realize my notepad is almost full and my is wrist strained from all of the writing, but it is a good kind of strain. It's the strain of success!

" _What is one thing you loved most about your bridal campaign in Italy?_ "

He raises an eyebrow and smirks at me:

"I think this is the most normal question you've asked so far."

I roll my eyes and scoff. He chuckles:

"Well...I really liked  ** _Italy_**. The scenes where we shot were absolutely stunning. The roses were unlike anything I've ever seen before, and the grapevines were straight out of a romance novel..." He drifts off, staring into the distance, as I can practically see the memory flash in front of his eyes.

I had never seen that look in someone before. That stare of passion and longing. That look of a distant memory that you're trying to catch with your eyes. It's strange, but that look makes me feel a certain way, even though it is not directed towards me.

It makes me feel hopeful and happy.   
It makes me want to go to Italy.

I realize that I'm staring too long, when he finally snaps out of his gaze and averts his attention back to me. He looks at me with that same glaze in his eyes, as if it hasn't left him yet.

"I've never been to Italy..." I mutter, as I look down at my papers, still enthralled by that stare.

" _It is beautiful..._ " He taps his fingers gently on the surface of the table, " _true to itself._ "

These words hit me harder than they should have.

For some reason, it was nice to hear, and I find myself smiling only faintly. But I try not to get caught up too much in my own world, as I proceed onto the next question casually. I find that it's becomes easier and easier to talk to him after each question. He is open-minded and amusing. His smile is kind and his voice is not intimidating at all.

" _And...what is one thing you_ ** _did not_** _like about your bridal campaign_?" I ask, as I look at him.

He narrows his eyes as he stares off into the distance again. Recalling that same distant memory of his time in Italy. I await his answer patiently, as he finally gives his reply, in a sort of mindless daze:

" _The brides_."

I don't start writing yet, as I frown slightly with curiosity:

"Why?"

He suddenly blinks and sits up a bit straighter in his chair, snapping out of his daze and realizing the boldness of his statement just now:

"Don't get me wrong, they were stunning women...it was just... _they were too_..."

He stammers, squinting as he tried to search his mind for the correct words. I don't know what comes over me but the answer slips right out of my lips:

_"Perfect?"_

His eyes meet mine and he nods slowly, as a little smile begins to appear on his lips. His eyes scan me, my face, my slightly messy hair and my wrinkled shirt:

_"Yea."_

I can't stop looking at him. There's something about him that makes me uneasy, but also unafraid. There's a lack of judgement in his expression when he stares at me, and it's strange because I have been so used to seeing the same way everyone looks at me. But he doesn't look at me like that. He looks at me differently. Like an equal. Maybe more.

Or perhaps it has just been too long.   
And I'm delusional.

There is one thing in all of this that I know is true though, and that is the fact that I am happy with myself for who I am. That is one truth I am confident in, and I need to stick with it. Anything else will sidetrack me from reality. I can't keep constantly seeking approval from others. It has led me to ruin and will only continue to do so.

I snap out of my thoughts and pick up my pen as I begin to write down his answers. I think I have enough notes now to write my article. And although it started a bit rocky, I think the interview went well overall.

"Are you recording?" He randomly asks.

I shake my head as I keep writing.

" _Then_..." He starts, a little bit nervously, "can I say something off the record?" He asks.

I turn the page of my notepad to continue writing about his previous answer, I add a few notes about him to include in the column.  _M_ _aybe I'll talk about how charming he is, girls like that sort of thing..._

"Off the record?" I pause for a moment, not thinking much of it "sure." I mutter, as I continue to write mindlessly, half-listening to him as I was entranced in the strange world of journalism.

He clears his throat and hesitates for just a few seconds, when suddenly, I feel my pen gently taken out of my hand. He places it on the desk slowly, grabbing my attention. I look at him with a combination of surprise and confusion, as his eyes meet mine:

" _I want you to model my next project_."


	5. French Kiss

_"I want you to model my next project."_

For a moment, I do not believe him. Thinking it is some comical statement about my mess of an appearance that I'm supposed to laugh at. But after a few minutes of him just staring at me with determination in his eyes, I am surprised to find that Kim Jongin is either aesthetically challenged or has some sort of prosopagnosia. 

"Me?" I point a finger to myself, slightly confused.

He nods slowly, as that smile comes back.

" _Why?_ " I ask, genuinely curious, " _What kind of project is it?_ " Expecting some sort of catch.

He asks for my notepad and pen. I hesitate briefly, but give it to him. He flips to a clean page and begins to sketch something very quickly. I watch him carefully, my palms rested on my lap as I leaned forward in my seat with anticipation.

When he finished the sketch, he turned the notepad upside down so that I could see it.

It was a little balcony, with flowers everywhere that he had drawn as squiggles on the page. In distance, you could see the Eiffel Tower. 

" _France..._ " My eyes widen, as I inspect the sketch closely.

"It's a floral project for my spring portfolio." He explained, "You would be wearing a monochromatic colors for contrast.  _But there would be flowers everywhere...in your hair especially..._ " He says softly, as he trails off and stares at me.

It's strange to be picked for something, based off of how I look. That's never happened to me before. My brain was what got me things in life, as my appearances have never awarded me with anything, no matter how hard I tried.

And I sincerely doubted they would anytime soon.

"I'm sorry..." I laugh sincerely, "But I'm not really fit to be a model. My clothes sort of...mask my actual figure." I say honestly, hoping he wouldn't be mad and just try to find someone else.

But he doesn't look away from me.

"I don't care about your figure. I just want to capture you." He says gently, his cheeks flushing slightly at the words that just came out of his mouth, "In a photo, I mean. I want to capture you with my camera."

And as if I was back in college, I felt my heart skip a beat. My lips parted to speak, but nothing came out. The room was cold, but my cheeks burned. And there was a little flame inside me that churned...

" _Please..._ _?_ " He pleads, taking my hand into his warm one, "You will be payed. And you get to go to **France**."

" _France..._ " I look off into the distance with wonder. I had never traveled anywhere before. And all I can think about is that look he had in his eyes just now. All I want is to have that look. To have at least one beautiful memory to recall from time to time and make myself happy.

He lets go of my hand and quickly scribbles something down on a business card, before handing it to me:

" _Here_." He places his card into my hands, "It is my contact information. If you make up your mind, please call me. I know it's not much time, but I leave for France in one week."

I look down at the business card and feel a nervous lump in my throat as I nod. I put it inside my bag and gather up all of my papers, realizing that we were exceeding the time we were given for the interview:

"S-So..." I take my notepad and look through all the answers I have gathered from him, "I think we are done with the interview..." I say, a bit bashfully from what had just happened.

"Okay..." He nods, as we stand up.

I gather everything into my bag and wrap everything up. I put on my bag over my shoulder and stand in front of him. I smile and extend my hand out again:

"Thank you for letting me interview you, Jongin."

He chuckles and takes my hand slowly, bringing it to his lips. I am shocked and horrified. He smiles playfully at me:

"What?" He chuckles at my expression, " _This is how they do it in France_ _.._ _._ "

He kisses my hand, his soft lips coming into contact with my sensitive knuckles.

My body freezes for a moment, before I yank it away quickly and run out of the room. I make my way to my Editor's office and tell her that I've finished. She scolds me for not showing Jongin the way out, but my heart could barely take another second in that room anymore.

He was weird. Odd and confusing.

I don't get to see him leave as I sit at my cubicle and type away at my computer in an attempt to finish my column as fast as I can. I type up all of his answers to my silly questions, and for once, work doesn't feel as miserable. It was an eventful day, although strange. I finish up the interview column, but now I need a picture to go with the section. I stand up from my cubicle and make my way over to the visual design department.

"Hey, Baekhyun." I sigh, exhausted, as I sit on his desk.

"Ohoho, look who it is.  _Promotion gal_." He teases, as I roll my eyes and smile.

Baekhyun is my only friend at work. Everyone hates us both. Me, because I'm too _introverted_ , and Baekhyun, because he's too _extroverted_. Everyone's a critic, but I guess it's because of everyone that we've become friends. Either that, or opposites _really do_ attract.

" _Whatcha need?_ " He asks, spinning his chair.

"Ah, I was wondering if you had any photos I could use for my column. Of the guy that came in today."

"The photographer?" He hums, as he fixes his glasses and searches through the file on his computer.

"Yep." I look over his shoulder as he scrolls through the documents.

"How about this one? We took a bunch like these yesterday for the cover page." He clicks one to enlarge it, and it pops up on the screen: 

There was a warmth in that photographer's smile that fit perfectly with the playfulness of the interview this morning. And for some reason his smile was contagious. His appearance was gentle and kind. There was no judgement in those eyes. Only radical fascination. Vivacious inquiry. 

" _I like it._ " I nod firmly, "Can I use it?"

"Yea, sure." He says, inspecting the photo, "He's handsome, huh?  _Didn't you interview him today?_ " Baekhyun nudges me with his shoulder and wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

I playfully make a gagging sound before I walk away:

" _Just email it to me, lover boy!_ "


	6. You Sneeze When It's Warm

I finish up placing the picture on the column and it looks amazing. The interview was strange but informative, and comical. I was really proud of my work today, even though it was a bit nerve-wrecking at first, I survived another day in this unforgiving world and that's all that matters.

     

I am the last to leave work again tonight, as I gather my things and turn off all the lights on my way out. With a yawn, I slowly make my way back home. I notice that the night is not as cold as yesterday, and not so spooky either. It's a fresh night, with the moonlight full, glittering the dull street I usually walk.

My shoes have been killing me all day, so I decide to just stop walking and slip them off. I hold them in my left hand before I continue to proceed on my route back home. It felt much better. I was happy with today, and I even finished up my column, meaning I would be free for the next few days.

My mind was filled with positive thoughts for once, before I suddenly heard someone sneeze behind me. Shocked, I stopped walking completely to turn around as fast as I can.

And to my horror, there was nobody behind me. Something similar happened yesterday too, when I heard footsteps that were not my own. My heartbeat gets faster as I stare behind me for a while, expecting someone to come out, but no one does.

"B-Bless you!" I say, as I run the rest of the way home again.

I close the door behind me as fast as I can when I step into my warm apartment. I throw my shoes to the side with an exhausted sigh, before I go freshen myself up. I slip into pajamas after my shower, and decide to watch some TV on the sofa before bed.

After a few moments of the uneventful documentary on my television screen, my cellphone vibrates in my bag. I grab my bag and search for my phone. When I find it I turn it on to see that I have a text from Baekhyun. I open it immediately:

_Drinks tomorrow night?_

I type up my reply:

_Sure._

I put my phone away after replying, and I am about to avert my gaze back to the TV, when suddenly something slips out of my bag and catches my eye.

_The business card._

He told me to think about it. But time wasn't what I needed. I wanted to go to France, I really did. I was just nervous.

The next morning, I head to work after a long night of debating whether or not I should go. I had made up my mind to give traveling a try, since I had already finished my column for the month, I could finally use those vacation days before they expire.

"E-Excuse me, Ma'am..." I walk inside my editor's office.

Her eyes were glued to a few pages on her desk as she did not even bother to look at me. Her silky hair was in a bun today, and her lipstick was darker and more refined. Her eyes were a different color, from the green contacts she wore yesterday. She wore blue ones today.

"Yes?" She answered me, without looking up.

"I was wondering if...umm...I could use my vacation days for the upcoming week?"

She stops reading and looks up from her pages. She removes her glasses and sets them on the table, before crossing her arms and narrowing her stern eyes at me:

"Have you finished your column? You know how tight we are these days with the schedule..."

"I finished it." I reply quickly, "I did it all last night."

Her eyebrow arches slightly, " _All of it_?"

I nod quickly.

"I'm impressed..." She says, as she takes out a little folder and opens it up. She clicks her pen, "Next week, you said?"

" _Yes_..."

"That's fine then." She writes it down, " _Where are you going_?" She asks randomly, taking me by surprise.

I am taken aback by her sudden interest so it takes me a moment to answer, she looks at me, curious:

"France." I reply.

Her eyes drift elsewhere, as she nods with a hum:

"Interesting." She goes back to reading the papers she was before, "Don't forget to email me your column before you leave."

"Yes, Ma'am!" I bow to her, as I turn to leave.

" _Enjoy your trip_." She says, as I shut the door behind me.

I make my way over to my cubicle and slump on my chair with a strange feeling in my gut. I was nervous and unsure of what I was even doing. But without wasting anymore time, I pull out the business card from my bag and pull out my phone too. I dial the number on the card and call the photographer. I wait patiently, hoping he would pick up, but also hoping that he wouldn't. Somehow this all felt too good to be true. Somehow I felt like I was making a mistake.

" _Hello_?" I hear his voice on the other end, just as I was about to hang up.

"Mister Kim... _Jongin_?" I ask, a bit nervous.

" _Yea_?  _Who is this_?" He replies.

I was going to say my name but he probably forgot. So I try to remind him:

"Oh, I'm the girl that interviewed you yesterday," I try to sound nonchalant, as I scoot my chair closer to my desk "You told me to call you about the... _France...thing_..."

Gosh I felt so stupid. What was I thinking? He was probably just joking around. I mean,  _me_? A model for his latest project? In  _France_?! He's not the one that's insane,  **I am.**

"Oh..." His voice gets softer and more friendly, " _Y/N_ , right?"

I feel a lump in my throat when he says my name:

" _Yea_."

But now I didn't know what to say as we both went silent. I couldn't tell if he was waiting for me to say something or not. My nerves were getting to me again, and I was basically just waiting for him to burst out into laughter and tell me it was all a joke. That I was naive and dumb to think that anyone would-

" _Have you made up your mind yet? I'm actually thinking of leaving tomorrow_..."

He was serious.

" _Yea_." I say almost inaudibly, " _I want to go to France._ "

He is quiet on the other line for a while, before laughing lightly:

" _Great_ _!_ " He says with gentle excitement, "Text me your address. I'll pick you up tomorrow and take you to the airport myself."

" _Tomorrow?!_ " My eyes widen.

"Yea," He replies casually " _Too soon_?"

"N-No! It's fine it's just...I'll text you, then! B-Bye!" I say quickly, before hanging up.

I sigh as I place my phone on my desk, and spend the rest of the day at work trying to think of how I am going to finish packing for a week's trip in one night.

" _Hey!_ " Baekhyun walks over to my cubicle and sits on my desk.

"Heeyyy..." I groan, stretching my arms.

"You ready to go out for some drinks tonight?" He asks, punching the air with excitement.

Oh shit I forgot about that.

"Fuck...dude I totally can't tonight I'm going to France  _tomorrow_."

"Whaat?! I thought that was next week?"

I guess he overheard me talking with my boss about finally using those damn vacation days.

"It  _was_ , but I have off tomorrow and the person I'm going with is paying for my ticket so I can't just change their schedule..."

"C'mon, just for a few hours. We get off work early tonight anyway! A few drinks isn't gonna give you a _hangover_..." He points out.

"I dunno...." I sigh with uncertainty.

"I'll help you pack! Come on, Y/N! You know I hate drinking alone..." He pleads, putting his hands in a praying position.

I roll my eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is the media (pictures and gifs) showing up in the chapters? Hopefully there are no glitches.


	7. To Seduce A Stranger

Baekhyun orders drinks for us as we sit at the booth. I don't know what possessed him to want to come to a bar on a Friday night for drinks, but he was paying and I'm all for a free drink.

The night is alive in this bar. It's a warm and friendly environment, open to people of many backgrounds and variations. The scene is refreshing, a perfect escape from our stoic workplace. I can see why he was so eager to come here tonight. I smile as the bartender pours me my drink before sliding it over to me. The glass is cold against my hot fingertips as I bring it to my lips to sip:

"I really needed this..." I exclaim with a wistful sigh, after taking a sip.

" _Told you._ " Baekhyun said with a playful look in his eyes, as he downed half of his glass, "I've been dying to come here all week."

I chuckle at him, as I gently tap my glass and glance around. The lights are dimmed enough to make it appear as if everything you see is a dream. Strangers are chatting the night away while friends and businessmen laugh openly, lovers gazing deep into each others eyes, siblings who embrace and a variety of people with just a drink and a flushed face.

"So..." Baekhyun snaps me out of my trance-like state, "France, huh?"

I nod, while taking another sip of my drink:

"Bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Who are you going with again?" He asks, slight curiosity in his eyes.

I shake my head, "No one." I lie.

"Oh, come on Y/N..." He nudges me playfully, "that was a rhetorical question."

I roll my eyes, "It's so dumb..."

" _Who is he?_ " Baekhyun smirks, bringing the cup to his lips, "Is he better looking than me?"

I scoff.

_But really..._

**_Who was Kim Jongin?_ **

I had only met him yesterday and I was already going across the world with him? How did I know he was a good person? How did I know that he wouldn't just use me to take my money and abandon me in the country? He was a complete stranger.

"He's a stranger." I mumble, as if just realizing the fact myself while my eyes locked onto an old jukebox machine in the far corner of the room.

Baekhyun looked at me with wide eyes:

"You're traveling with a stranger?"

I watch the little lights on the jukebox turn on and off. My chest feels light, and my mind feels strangely clear and concise. I avert my gaze from the far corner of the room to meet Baekhyun's expression of concern. My lips curl into a little smile:

"What do I have to lose?"

Baekhyun shrugs and finishes his drink before ordering another. I watch him silently as he starts conversing with the pretty girl next to him. I rest my head on the bar table and gaze at her pretty features, watching how she responds and expresses herself to my coworker's shameless flirtations. Sometimes I wonder if I would be the same, if I had a face like hers. I wonder if I would be happier if I looked like her. 

I'm staring at her too long, as she leans in and captures Baekhyun's lips with her own. She was bold and I can't help but wonder if that was because of her personality or because of how she knew exactly how to utilize her appearances. Maybe both. Either way, I can't relate. 

Since I have to get up bright and early tomorrow, Baekhyun and I decide not to overdue it on the drinks, as we head over to my place. I told him he could go with that girl if he wanted to, but he said she would have just been a one night stand anyway. Aside from that, he had agreed to help me pack. So we take my usual route home; that empty sidewalk at the side of the road with just a few street lights. It was better than any back alley.

"You don't get scared walking home alone every night?" Baekhyun asks, as he walks beside me, hands in his pockets as he glanced around.

"Not particularly," I shrug and stare at our feet as we walk, "But I hear things sometimes." I say, looking at him playfully.

He pales and looks at me with slight horror: " _Like_ _what?_ "

Baekhyun believes in ghosts.

"Footsteps..." I whisper, glancing around mysteriously, "And faint crying..." I half-lie, earning a shocked expression from him.

"Are you fucking serious right now..?" He whispers fearfully.

I can't hold it in anymore as I burst into a fit of laughter. This pisses Baekhyun off:

"Yah! What the hell, Y/N! Are you trying to scare me?!"

"Haha, I was kidding!" I laugh.

I tease him the rest of the way back to my place. When we arrive, he goes into my bedroom and collapses on my bed with a yawn as I scurry and drag over the giant suitcase I would be taking with me on my trip tomorrow:

"Baekhyun!" I call him, causing him to sit up quickly with wide eyes, "You're supposed to help me pack..."

"Yea, yea..." He stretches as he gets off my bed and sits on my bedroom floor with me as I throw some clothes I might be taking, "What's with this monster of a suitcase...are you going for a week or a damn _month_?" He jokes.

I roll my eyes, "I'm a girl, Baekhyun."

"You are?" He teases, looking at me with his glittering eyes.

For the next hour, he looks up the weather in France on his phone and helps me decide what I'm gonna wear for the week. I fold the clothes neatly and place them into the suitcase, along with other necessary sanitary stuff. 

"I feel like I'm forgetting something..." I mutter, as I look through the checklist of things I had planned. Everything was there, so maybe I was just paranoid.

"You are." Baekhyun suddenly says, as he stands up and walks over to my closet.

I narrow my eyes at him inquisitively and watch as he pulls out a dress I had hidden in the back of my closet for over a year. It was dark green, with long sleeves and a modest hem.

"You have to take this too." He says, throwing it at my face as he walked back over and sat beside me, leaning against the wall.

I take it off of my face and hold it out in front of me, inspecting it closely. It was cute, but I'm not cute:

"I dunno if I can pull this off dude..."

"Well you need  _something_." Baekhyun points out, as I turn my head and look at him "Something to make that stranger... _not a stranger._ " He smirks.

I recoil with disgust upon what he was implying:

" _Ew!_ "

He starts laughing:

" _I'm kidding!_ "

"How is this even mildly seductive?" I laugh at the dress, which was actually not even that revealing.

Baekhyun carefully takes the dress from my hands, before starting to fold it neatly. I watch him, as he smiles:

"It's not about the dress," He says, placing into the suitcase " _It's about you_."

"Me?" I look at him with amusement, "I'm seductive?"

"You could be..."

I raise an eyebrow. 

He looks at me with a playful smirk,

" _In the dress_."


	8. Memory Rain

The ring of my alarm vibrates my eardrums as I sit up slowly with a painful and agonizingly horrendous headache. Baekhyun left at around  **3 am**  last night, and it was currenly **5 am** , which meant I was going to have to get on a plane to France with a stranger, while running on only two hours of sleep.

I yawn, my eyes puffy from lack of sleep as I squint at my phone. I had received a message an hour ago; from the photographer himself:

_I'll be in front of your apartment complex at 5:30. -Kim Jongin_

I panic as I realize I have approximately thirty minutes to get ready. I hop into the shower without a second thought and freshen myself up before slipping on some sweatpants and a sweater. It was cold and I just wanted to be comfortable.

My suitcase was ready, and I had a few minutes to spare after drying my hair. I look at myself in the bathroom mirror and try to find what part of me could have possibly made him beg for me to be in a floral photoshoot. When I thought about flowers, I thought about whimsical and pretty things. Two connotations that held no correlation with my appearance.

I suddenly see the makeup on my table that I had been disregarding for a while now. I bite my lip, and contemplate whether or not I should take some of it with me. There was BB cream and lipstick and mascara...and for some odd reason it was especially tempting today. But why?

As I am in a gaze at the inexpensive makeup products that sit on my sink, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out and stare at the screen:

_I'm here. -Kim Jongin_

There was no other choice. I grab the lipstick and dump it into my pocket before running out the door. I knew if I didn't take at least one piece of makeup it would be on my mind the entire trip. It's not like I was gonna use it anyway. Why would I?

I see a sports car parked just in front of the apartment complex, as the rain pours harder and harder. Kim Jongin gets out of his car and hurries me inside the passenger seat and takes my suitcase from me to put it into the trunk. It is not until he is back inside the car that I find the opportunity to thank him:

"Thanks."

"You ready?" He looks at me with a little smile.

I nod, and he zooms off onto the highway.

We get away from the rain by the time we reach the airport. I get out of the car to get my suitcase from the trunk when we arrive but he beat me to it and was currently dragging them to the airport himself. I followed close behind him, and he did not take his eyes off of me even as we went through customs and got our luggage and tickets processed.

By the time we had finished with the formalities, all of which I was rather new to, it was time to board the flight, business class. The runway was huge and pretty intimidating, but I didn't let it affect me that much. This was my first flight ever, and although I was nervous I was not about to embarrass myself in front of a stranger.

We take our seats and get comfortable. The attendant brings us blankets and socks, and everything is going quite well, aside from the fact that I haven't spoken a word since he's picked me up from my home. I could tell he was just as nervous as me, as he turned around and finally spoke up:

"So, is this your first time on an airplane?"

I pull the blanket over my shoulders and nod, looking at him with a faint smile:

"Yea..."

" _Ah_ ," He smiles, "it can be pretty scary at first. Let me know if you need anything, okay? It's gonna be a while..."

" _Okay_ ," I nod, " _thanks_..."

I just didn't know what else to say to him. The whole situation was weird and my decision to come with him just seemed naive and impulsive. But on another note, I couldn't tell if the plane was moving or not, which was good. It seemed like I was just sitting in a room. Maybe airplanes weren't so bad after all, and their enormous size was more deceiving than I though-

Suddenly, as if on cue, the plane starts rumbling and shaking as my seat vibrates vigorously. There are loud sounds that ring through my ear, as the whole thing unfolds like a scene in a movie. What was going on? Were we crashing?

My eyes widen as I grip the seat I'm sitting on and glance around, only to see that nobody else was even remotely reacting as much as I was. The noise of the plane got louder. I became more and more uncomfortable and confused with each passing second. Was this how the whole trip was going to be?  _I don't think I can take this..._

Jongin suddenly turned to look at me with a softened expression, as he had quickly picked up on my unease:

"Relax, it's just the turbulence. It'll pass in a few minutes."

"O-Oh..." I nod my head slowly, but still finding all the noise and movement rather scary. It was a chaotic sound that made me recall a memory I had always been trying to forget...

" _Here_ ," He says, holding out his hand "If you hold my hand,  _the memory won't be as scary_."

What.

I become puzzled as I stare at him with confusion and shock. How did he know? How could he tell? I wanted to ask but the noise was too horrifying. I brought my hand over to his and held it silently. I had a death grip on his poor hand as I shut my eyes and tried to think of something happier.

But just as I was trying to focus on other thoughts, I could hear Kim Jongin's chuckle right beside me. I open my eyes to find him staring at me again:

"I was like this too, at first." He told me, as his thumb gently brushed across my knuckles, "But I never had anyone to hold my hand."

And the eyes of the mysterious photographer suddenly darkened, as he inspected every inch of my face with such blunt intensity. I had never been looked at like this by anyone before, in my entire life. And I'm not so sure if I...

_liked it._

"You don't wear any makeup?" He asks out of the blue, as I frown and feel my face flush with slight embarrassment. Was my skin bad today? Was it  _that_  noticeable?

I look away from him and shake my head, as I move a stray strand of hair away from my face and tuck it carefully behind my ear. I hated feeling so small and insignificant. Why couldn't I stick up for myself just now? Why couldn't I have just looked him in the eyes and said ' _Yea. So what?_ ' Why am I still so afraid? Why can't I stand for what I believe in?

"Sorry..." He says, now realizing that the question was none of his business, "I was just curious."

"No, it's fine." I say, as I pull the blanket closer to myself, "I used to wear a lot, actually..."

" _Really?_ " He raised an eyebrow, to which I looked at him and nodded.

"I don't know why I stopped," I say with a sigh, " _got lazy I guess._ " I lie, with a little laugh.

He smiles and sits back in his seat, turning to gaze out the window. I decide to lie my head back and close my eyes to get some rest so I can save my energy for France.

The plane was quiet now after our little conversation and the turbulence had stopped completely without me even realizing it.

But the mysterious photographer still held a gentle grip on my hand.

As if he needed it more than I.


	9. Une Beauté

When I open my eyes again, we have already arrived in France.

I had slept the entire way there, and upon getting off the plane and gathering my luggage I was still a bit drowsy, but nonetheless refreshed. Jongin and I stay at the airport for about an hour before our taxi arrives. It was crowded with native French speakers everywhere. And I don't really realize what time of day it is until we actually go outside to get into the taxi.

But in those few seconds of walking to the little yellow vehicle, the air is clarifying and the sun is warm on my face. I feel like I'm dreaming.  _Like I'm still on the plane to France, my eyes closed and my head rested on the seat. My right hand cold from holding my phone. My left hand warm from holding his hand._

Jongin puts our luggage in the trunk before getting inside the taxi with me. He appears in a different light than before. His cheeks appear smoother now under the French sun, peppered with the pinkish hues of a blush as he smiles down at me:

" _It's crowded huh_?" He laughs, slightly breathless from all of the lifting.

I return the smile and nod:

" _Very_." I say, my heart racing with excitement as I roll down my window to let the air in while the taxi driver begins the route to our hotel. I suddenly become overwhelmed with the desire to poke my head out the window. I place my hands on the window sill and stick my head out, letting the wind mess up my hair and kiss my face as I try to spot the Eiffel Tower.  I scan the entire street and beyond but I still can't seem to find it. Maybe it was hiding behind one of the tall buildings we keep passing...

Jongin shuffles beside me for a few moments, and I bring my head back inside the vehicle to look over at what he was doing. He had pulled his camera out of his bag and was setting up the lens. I watched him with curiosity, before I saw a bright light quickly flash before my eyes. I blink to regain my vision, only to be met with that charming expression of his. The camera is a Polaroid one, as the image begins to print. He takes the printed paper out and shakes it a bit, before handing it to me. I take the little photo and look at it.

It's me, when the wind was blowing my mess of hair and my tired eyes were watching him. He captured a pointless moment, I begin to think, as I look closer at the picture. But it is the next thing I spot that ensues a paradigm shift in my tired mind.

In this photo he has just handed me, this photo of myself, I can see the Eiffel Tower, right behind my mess of hair and just out the window in the photo. My eyes widen, as I quickly snap my neck and turn my head to look out that window again. The window in reality.

And I see it. I see the Eiffel Tower in all of its glory. I see it and I smile like a fool. My heart pinches in my chest with intense and radiant happiness, and I realize for the first time that it is not the beauty of the tower that brings about this magical feeling inside me, but it is the fact that I am seeing it with my own eyes. Not in a movie, not imagining it in a piece of literature; but with  _my own eyes._

And the picture he has given me is a reminder of this moment. Not the moment in the past, when I was watching him fix his camera. But this moment right now. The moment I saw the tower for the first time. This picture in my hands is not a photo of the past, but of the present happiness I feel inside of me.

I avert my eyes from the Eiffel Tower in the distance to look at the photo in my hands. It's me. It's this memory and this emotion. I look over to find Kim Jongin occupied by his own window, snapping photos of the shops and people. I stare at him for a while, wanting to thank him or express some sort of strange gratitude, but he was so immersed for me to just interrupt.

We arrive at the hotel in the daylight, and it is exactly as I had imagined a Paris hotel to appear. The sensual tiers, columns, roman architecture and crystal floors. The renaissance music at the check-in desk. The handsome French bell-boy who took our luggage to our rooms for us.

The glitter of Kim Jongin's eyes while we were in the elevator, on our way up as I told him how much I loved the photo he took of me earlier.

"You like it?"

I nod and show him, pointing to the Eiffel Tower behind me in the photo:

"I didn't realize it was behind me here."

He laughs lightly:

"When I took the photo, I was actually trying to capture the tower"

He explained to me, and I laughed with him as he gestured to my face:

" _But I didn't realize that I had captured something far more beautiful in front._ "

My heart skips a beat as my throat suddenly feels dry. He was just being chivalrous. That's how he always was. But it still worked to make me feel strange inside, and somehow even worse.

" _You're crazy._ " I say playfully, in an attempt to brush it off and forget about it completely.

"Am I?" He proposes, as he crosses him arms and stares at me, "Are you denying your aesthetic beauty?"

I am slightly taken aback by the nerdy comment, and raise an eyebrow at him:

"I guess I am."

"Then you're the crazy one." He says, averting his eyes to the tiled ground with a smile.

I scoff and the elevator dings, indicating that we had arrived on our floor. The bellboy had already taken our luggage up, but I didn't really know what room I was in. I follow the photographer down the carpeted corridor that smells like floral perfume. He stops in front of a door, and reaches into his pocket for a card. He hands it to me:

"This is yours," He says with a smile, "I'm right next door, okay?"

I nod and smile, "Thank you."

When I walk into the room I almost collapse from how pretty it is. The giant window in the front of the room was actually a balcony that overlooked the whole city. And just like he had drawn it for me, the Eiffel Tower was right there, towering the little shops and homes of Paris like a goddess. I smile and close the door behind me as I walk towards the balcony. I bite my lip with excitement and slide it open before stepping outside.

We are about thirty floors up, and my stomach turns with excitement as I hold onto the black rail of the balcony. The wind blows gently and messes up my hair again, but it's perfect. Everything up here is perfect. This is what I had dreamed of seeing as a little girl. This is exactly what I imagined Paris to be like.

And to finally live that innocent imagination is ecstatic.

I smile as I try to look past the tower, my gaze stuck on the scene in front of me as the sun slowly begins to set. The sky was turning a pinkish color now, and it only worked to make me feel even more joyful. My lips suddenly curled into a little smile with the scent of fresh bread coming from below. I still felt as if I was dreaming, my eyelids growing heavy but not wanting to close so as to not miss the heaven displayed out in front of me.

_Snap!_

Startled at the sudden noise, I turn my head to see Jongin on his balcony, facing me with his camera snug in his hands and positioned adjacent to his eye. It was a different camera this time. A bigger and classier one. He was taking pictures of me, but before I could say anything he looked up at me from his camera and grinned:

" _Une beauté!_ "


	10. A Winter Butterfly

By the time I unpack my things and get settled into the beautiful little hotel room, the sky has already darkened considerably. I sit on the bed, crossing my legs and switching on the television, curious to see what kind of channels they had.

As I scrolled through the list of channels, I heard a gentle knock on the door. I decided to turn off the TV, finding no interest in it as I walked towards the door and opened it slowly:

"Hi." Jongin smiles faintly, "Can I talk to you about something?"

I nod quickly and step aside to let him in. He walks in and sits on the little sofa. I close the door behind me and sit on the little love-seat in front of him. He takes a glance at my room:

"Do you like the room? I tried to pick a spacious place...the photoshoot will be in this hotel as well..."

"It's _perfect._ " I say with a smile, "Everything is absolutely stunning. Thank you so much..."

He leans back on the sofa and nods slowly with a shy smile:

"It's the least I can do..." He says softly, " _For my model._ "

I bite my lip and suppress the urge to laugh. He was so strange. Of all of the beautiful girls in the world, why me? What singles me out from everyone else? It was a comical thought, but also one that stumbled my mind. It made me paranoid. It made me question his true intentions, if there were any.

"What did you want to talk about?" I ask, trying to change the topic.

"Ah," He sits up, "the photoshoot is tomorrow morning. I wanted to see if you were okay with that, or had any questions..." Jongin explains kindly.

I nod slowly and think for a moment:

"I've never really modeled anything before..." I mutter, before looking at him with wide eyes, "it's not some creepy nude shoot, right?"

His cheeks flush as a look of horror appears on his face. He shakes his head quickly:

"N-No!"

For some reason, I find this particular reaction of his wholesome and admirable. I laugh lightly at his recoil, earning a faint smile back:

"It is a  _floral_  project." He begins, extending his hands out in front of him and gazing into the distance, "there will be flowers everywhere. _Carnations, orchids..._ "

His attention averts to my face, and his eyes glitter with passion as he stares at me:

"And you will be my center piece. The flowers will rest in your hair,  _kissing your cheeks, as minty vines embrace your arms and legs..._ "

I feel a faint shiver travel up my spine as he explains what he has envisioned of tomorrow's event. His explanation is abstract and yet so sensual that it brings about a certain joviality within the dark confines of my isolated sentiment.

" _I will capture your winter in the eye of spring._ "

Jongin says quietly, his expression full of excitement as he stared at his hands. He had nothing more to say, but every bit of his childlike devotion and emotion towards his work was evident in the sparkle of his eyes.

My chest tightens at his words, the air suddenly feeling warm:

"I'll do my best _._ "

The next morning, I awake to the ringing of my alarm piercing my ear. Although I went to bed early last night, I feel like I didn't get any sleep because of the elevation and time zone differences. I was tired and my eyes felt kind of stingy. This must be jet lag...

I walked in the bathroom and freshened myself up for the photo shoot. Jongin had told me that there would not be much room for error as he would be with me at all times, taking my photo and instructing me on how to pose. I freeze when I see how puffy my eyes are in the mirror. I sigh and hope that it doesn't get in the way of what he was trying to "capture" today.

When I finished getting ready, I walked out of my hotel room and knocked on Jongin's door. He opened it quickly, revealing his mess of hair and un-tucked shirt, with his large bag of equipment slung over his shoulder:

"Ready?" He asks, a little breathless.

I nod and let him lead the way. We go up a few floors in the elevator to the huge suite that the photoshoot would be taking place in. When we arrive, the room is set up already like a studio, with at least two dozen people already scurrying around to their duties. Jongin set his equipment bag on the floor by the extremely bright lights before taking my hand into his and leading me over to a vanity with a large mirror.

There was another guy there, his hair tousled and blonde. His eyes blue as the ocean and his skin milky white. A true French guy. The one's that pop up in your mind when you think of running into some romance in Paris. I took a seat on the chair and looked at Jongin with curiosity:

"Makeup?" The French man asks him with his heavy accent.

"Not for this shoot." Jongin replies, " _William_  here is gonna do your hair." Jongin smiled as he spun the chair so I could look at myself in the mirror. I look tired, and my eyes were really puffy, but Jongin didn't want me to wear makeup for this project.  _I really hope my face doesn't ruin it..._

"I'm gonna go set up my things and I'll meet you here,  _okay?_ " Jongin smiles at me from the mirror, before turning his attention to the hair stylist, " _let me know if you have trouble making her more beautiful than she already is._ " He winks, before walking away.

I roll my eyes as the hair stylist, William, chuckles:

"Il est amoureux..." The hairstylist says Jongin's into me in French, as he clips parts of my hair back before beginning to add volume to certain areas with product and a blow dryer.

"Avec moi?" I raise an eyebrow, "That is  _crazy talk_ , buddy."

"Trust me, ma fleur..." The hairstylist laughs running his fingers through my hair, " _I know that look all too well._ "

When my hair is finished, I look like something straight out of a fairytale. My hair was sticking up in places I was not aware that it could, and there were all kinds of flowers in my hair too. Just like he talked about last night. I was covered in flowers. Real ones. My hair was a bouquet!

William adds the finishing touches of petals to my hair before helping me to the dressing room. He gives me a surprisingly simple dress to wear. A modest one that only shows off my legs a little more than I would usually show them off.  The dress had long silky sleeves, and was an icy blue-almost grey hue. The lack of colors in the ensemble was stark in contrast to the vibrant flowers in my hair and the flowers displayed in the backdrop.

I slip on the dress quickly before stepping out. It was actually quite comfortable, but I felt butterflies in my stomach as I was approaching the photographer himself. The hairstylist William smiles at me and takes me over to Jongin, who is far too occupied by his camera to notice me. I feel faint butterflies in my stomach. 

William clears his throat proudly:

" _Monsieur,_ " his voice his smooth "I have completed her.  _Papillon d'hiver._ "

Winter Butterfly. 

Kim Jongin looks from his standing camera and stares at my entire being. His cold gaze scans the flowers in my hair first, before moving down to my puffy eyes and placid face. His head tilts as he gazes farther, to my collarbone, to my waist, the hem of my dress where my legs are bare.  And all the way down to my naked feet, cold against the ceramic tiles on the ground. His expression is unreadable, as his eyes hold too much sentiment and intensity for me to comprehend what he thinks of me.

He bites his lip with silent excitement, as he places a hand on William's shoulder and nods his head towards him with curt gratuity:

" _Thank you._ " Jongin says softly to him, "She is..." He averts his gaze over to me and sighs wistfully before meeting my eyes:

"Absolutely  ** _radiant_**."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think...


	11. Under The Lights

Jongin walks me over to the scene for the photoshoot. It is a balcony that overlooks the city of Paris exactly like he had illustrated, with an abundance of vibrant flowers scattered everywhere. I am overwhelmed by the complexity of the backdrop, and it's vibrancy.  _How was I supposed to stand out among such beauty?_

I tried to relax but I was just so tense with all the people in the room staring at me.  _Judging_  me. I felt like an object. A beautiful thing, but a piece of work nonetheless.

"Hmm.." Jongin moves away from his camera and walks over to me. He places his hands gently on my arms, "You're too stiff..."

He runs his hands up and down my arms in an attempt to soothe me, but it only works to make me even more nervous and confused.

"Sorry, I just..." I stammer for the right words, "I'm nervous." I whisper honestly.

Jongin's expression softens suddenly. He stares at me with understanding, and warmth:

" _Y/N_..." He says in a slightly scolding voice, "I chose you to model for me here for a reason."

I feel the lump in my throat grow dry as I glance at some of the people on the set. Most of them were not even watching us but it was my anxiety that contorted this reality.

Jongin suddenly brings his fingertips to my chin to turn my face back towards his. I look at him with slight surprise, but he only smiles:

"You are the prettiest girl in this room right now..." He says gently, as his hands slide down to take my own, " _you are stunning and I need to show the world how wonderful you appear, right here, before my eyes. Please, will you help me?_ "

The lump in my throat suddenly disappears, becoming replaced by the slow rhythm of a steady heartbeat, and a warm fluttering in my cheeks. I nod towards him and he backs away to take his position behind his camera.

"Lean back against the bouquets..." Jongin instructs me, to which I comply immediately, "now tilt your head towards me slightly..." I tilt my head in his direction, my eyes avoiding his naturally.

"That's it..." He smiles, " _you're doing so well, jagiya..._ "

**FLASH.**

He snaps a few photos like that, instructing me to do a variety of different poses and expressions with my face and body. Although it was still a bit unsettling, I find myself becoming more and more comfortable with the camera and bright lights in front of me, "look over there, off into the distance..."

**FLASH.**

" _Good..._ "

**FLASH.**

". _.._ now look at me, and smile _.._."

**FLASH.**

" _Beautiful_."

In these moments, he appears to be the happiest man on earth. His eyes glazed over with a childlike joviality, his movements careful and precise as he almost appeared to be dancing with energy.

"Tilt your chin up..."

**FLASH**

" _Magnifique_!"

He begins commenting in a silly French accent, making me break my dream-like gaze and giggle by accident.

**FLASH.**

" _Oh_." He looks up from his camera at me with a chuckle, " _Can you do that again for me, jagiya?_ " He asks before I can apologize for it.

"Laugh?" I raise an eyebrow.

" _Mm_." He nods, adjusting his lens.

I quickly think of that one time my friend Baekhyun tripped at work, and I start giggling to myself again.

Jongin quickly snaps photos of the expression,

" _Yes..._ " His voice is suddenly quieter, "Hold it like that for a few seconds..."

I keep my giggle going before it eventually dies out. When I finish my fit of half-fake laughter, Jongin slowly looks up at me from his camera, his expression wide-eyed and enthralled:

"That was the one, Y/N." He says, staring at me like my face just cured cancer, " _That was the one._ " He suddenly smiles widely and approaches me with his arms wide open.

And for some reason I am happy being embraced by him. The passionate man. The artist who I helped create art with.  _The stranger that has brought me to France._

My lips curl into a smile, and I slowly wrap my arms around him too, hugging him as he thanked me for everything I had done for him. He was so grateful for my appearance that it begun to hit me harder than it should have. I felt my chest tighten and my eyes sting. It was strange to be thanked like this. It was strange to feel so special.

We take a break for lunch, before resuming the rest of the shoot. In all, the photoshoot took a large portion of the day, as the sky was already beginning to get dark. Everybody was exhausted, especially me.

After everything was wrapped up, and I got all of the flowers out of my hair, I helped Jongin pack up his equipment. We gathered his things before heading to the elevator. Jongin grabbed his extra fluffy coat and happily followed me:

I pushed the button of our floor, and watched as the doors closed automatically. I turned to look at Jongin then, who smiled sweetly towards me:

"You did a great job today."

My cheeks burn as I nod,

"Thanks..."

"We should celebrate tonight! Have you ever been to a French restaurant?" He asks, his shy demeanor suddenly bursting with energy.

I shake my head slowly, having never even have dreamed of visiting one anytime soon.

"I'll take you, then..." He said, "for dinner."

My eyes widen slightly with surprise before I shake my head with a little laugh, "Ah, you don't have to do that...!"

"I want to though." He says casually. The elevator dings, as we both step out onto the corridor. He turns his head and looks at me as we walk, "Be ready at eight." He tells me, unlocking his door and walking into his room before I could protest.

I sigh and give in, before unlocking my door and stepping into my room. I had a few hours before I had to get ready, so I decided to shower and relax on the balcony afterwards. I stared at the Eiffel Tower as the wind blew my wet hair. My heart skipped a beat upon seeing it again.

It was like a reminder that dreams really could come true.

My hands gripped the railing of the balcony as I leaned forward to feel the incoming wind hit my face, with a silly smile. I felt so childish, but I felt good. Free.

"Y/N!" I hear Jongin's voice in the distance and open my eyes to find him also sitting on the balcony of his room, his smaller camera in his hands.

I wave at him with an easy smile, still trapped in the blissful wind.

He stands up from the deck chair and waves at me too.

I suddenly start doing a silly dance that I did for Baekhyun at work whenever he was down. Jongin laughs lightly, before doing a sort of Egyptian dance.

"How romantic!" I call out to him playfully, as the wind blows with more vigor.

He laughs again, this time stepping closer and gripping his balcony railing. He leans forward and says something but I cannot really make out what it is because of the intense wind.

I squint with a smile as I gesture to my ear:

"Sorry, what? I couldn't hear you!"

He chuckles and calls out to me again with a shy smile:

" _You are_ _so pretty_ _with your damp hair!_ "


	12. Dream Night

I am more nervous than I thought I would be while getting ready to head out for some dinner tonight with the photographer. For some reason, I want to look my best, a feeling I haven't felt in a while since giving up on trying to be somebody I'm not.

Unzipping my luggage, I rummage through the clothes I have packed. The fanciest thing I had was a white blouse with black slacks. I could wear this with some flats...but the outfit just looked too business casual to fit the images that ran through my mind about a night out in Paris. As a young girl, I had dreamed of being in something more girly when an occasion like this ever struck. I had pictured myself the prettiest girl in the world under a scene like Paris.

But as I got older, I realized that no such thing existed. My confidence was struck down by the many glances around me. My faith in myself drowned with the wave of anxiety, as I looked down and watched its dark contents pool beneath my feet. It was a period of self-loathing that I later overcame all by myself. Because I didn't need anyone to help me. I did it all by myself.

As I hold the white blouse in my hands, my eyes are suddenly grabbed by the green that pops out from the bottom of my luggage. I set the blouse down and pull out the velvety green fabric, to find that it is the dress my friend Baekhyun had urged me to pack along with me. I hold out the dress in front of me. And I can practically hear Baekhyun's voice in my head:

" _Sekshiii!_ "

I sigh and decide to try it on, for the sake of getting rid of his damn voice in my head. Upon slipping it on with ease, I step in front of the bathroom mirror and look at myself with slight surprise. It appeared to shape my figure better than I thought. However, I was even more taken aback by how revealing it actually was on my body. At first glance, it appears as a very modest attire, but looking at it now on my body I can see that it does not cover my legs as much as I would have liked it to, and my shoulders were sort of popping out.

My hands smooth over the fabric of the dress, and I feel the velvety material with slight intrigue. It was a pretty dress. I just haven't worn something like this in a while. However, the color was deep and invigorating, and it drained my face completely. I stare at myself in the mirror, my lips colorless and my eyes dead. I run a quick comb through my hair to avoid a messy look. I shrug at myself in the mirror, thinking nothing much of what I was wearing as I went to grab my phone. Upon walking out of the bathroom though, I felt something on my foot.

I look down to find the little lip gloss stick on the floor, just under my foot. I move my foot and bend down to pick it up. I inspect it carefully, feeling a strange bubbly sensation in my stomach at what comes to mind next.

Jongin's lips.

I'm not sure why I was thinking of him like that but it only worked to make me even more nervous and anxious to just get this night over with. I think of seeing him and I think of his eyes glazing over every part of me like they did earlier today. I have seen the way he looks at me and it only works to make me feel confused and impulsive.

 _Really_  impulsive.

I curse under my breath and walk back to the mirror, trying not to think of anything as I begin to apply the gloss to my lips. As I do, I find the little gloss adding an extremely different volume to my lips that I never thought they could achieve. And I feel that excitement race in my heart. That same excitement of a little girl who has just tried on her mother's makeup for the first time.

There are two gentle knocks on the door, but they are surprising enough for me to drop the lipgloss stick in the sink as I get out of the bathroom hurriedly and grab my bag while slipping on my shoes. I get to the door as fast as I can:

"H-"

I try to greet him, but upon opening the door too fast I carelessly hit it with my foot.

"Ow..." I groan, as I step aside to let him in.

He walks in as I hop over on one foot to my bed to sit down and inspect my foot.

"Ah, did your hit your foot?" He walks over and sits on the bed with me as I nod.

"Yea..." I sigh, but try to laugh it off.

He pats his lap, "Let me see."

I don't hesitate to lift my leg and put my foot on his lap. He gently starts massaging it:

"Was it your toe?" He asks gently, looking at my foot.

I nod, swallowing dryly, "Yea."

He moves his fingers to my toe and begins tickling it. I quickly pull my leg back and suppress my giggles:

"Hey!" I look at him with a playful glare, to which he starts laughing.

He looks at my face, but his smile fades when he meets my eyes. There is that intense stare again. The one that makes me so nervous to the point of not being able to tell whether or not it is at all flattering. He tilts his head slightly and narrows his eyes to a squint, his gaze traveling down from my eyes:

"Your lips..."

I blink quickly and bring my fingertips to my lips, turning my face away from him with slight embarrassment:

"D-Did I put it on wrong?" I ask quietly, as I try not to look at him.

He sighs softly, " _No, jagiya_..." He moves my hand away from my lips and pulls me closer to him, " _It's lovely._ " He says quietly, his eyes locked on my lips as his hands gently held my arms " _You look lovely..._ "

I begin to panic at how fast my heart was beating in this moment. I can't even inhale air properly with his eyes locked onto my lips at such a close proximity. I feel my body begin to tense up, as I try to think of a way to get out of this situation. All confidence I had to go out to dinner with this guy completely went out the drain. The way he was making me feel was increasingly dangerous.

"J-Jongin..." My breath hitches, as I try to snap him out of this gaze he has fallen into.

His eyes quickly flicker up to meet my own eyes. His expression softens considerably, and he smiles kindly at me:

" _Are you ready to go_?" He asks, as if there was never even a weird tension between us just now.

When we step out of the hotel we are hit instantly with the smell of roses and fresh wine. The air is chilly enough to make my spine tickle, as Jongin locks his arm around mine and escorts me downtown among the bustling streets and stores. Paris seemed to be more alive at night than I had initially thought. The yellow streetlights glittered in the dark, artists setting up their works for display right under them. Tiny designer boutiques were at every corner, with florists and wine merchants. It was a stunning scene. Straight out of a painting, it seemed.

"This is the place, right here..." He said, pointing to the little restaurant beside us.

We went inside and I was surprised to see it was more upscale than I had expected. The waitress took us to our seats, that were alongside a large window with an incredible view of the city. I could not even guess what I wanted to try, so I let Jongin order for me. The restaurant was relatively quiet aside from the soft chatters of others around us. It was magical.

" _Y/N._ " Jongin snaps me out of my thoughts in an instant with his voice.

I smile, "Hm?"

He leans closer, and folds his hands on the table, "For the second part of the shoot tomorrow..." He pauses and tries to search for the right words, "there's going to be another model with you." He explains, sincerity in his soft eyes, "I just wanted to let you know, in case you're uncomfortable with that sort of thing."

I was more confused about the fact that there was a second part to this photoshoot. But I shrug it off and shake my head: "It's fine. I can do it." I was more interested in the food we were about to eat anyway.

Besides, it was the least I could do for him. He has done so much for me already, by bringing me here and showing a completely fantastical part of the world that I had always dreamed about. But on another note, I was more curious to find out who the model I would be doing the shoot with tomorrow was. I would even go so far as to say that there is a part of me that is sort of nervous. She was probably stunning, tall and beautiful. Why would he want me alongside someone like that? For contrast?

I smile at him nervously, sipping on the champagne. I can't stop smiling and I feel like I look insane.

Jongin leans back in his chair, taking his glass in hands too and bringing its pristine rounded edge to his plump lips. He pauses to smirk at me, his eyes glitter mysteriously, before he takes a sip with a seductive look.

I almost choke on my champagne as I set the glass down slowly:

" _W-What was that?_ " I laugh lightly.

" _What?_ " He asks with innocent eyes, although his tone is teasing as his lips curl into a playful smile.


	13. Cabernet Twist

After trying the delicious food at the restaurant, Jongin and I decide to head back since we had to be up early for the shoot the next morning. However, we did not go back to the hotel without first picking up some wine from the infamous winery just outside our hotel. Jongin was way more excited than he should have been after we picked up the expensive bottle.

When we stepped into the elevator, I watched as he leaned back against the wall and hugged the bottle close to him as we waited patiently for the elevator to move. He noticed me staring and met my eyes with his gentle ones. His expression softened, as a little smile played his lips:

" _My room or yours?_ "

I know he was just talking about whose room we should drink wine in, but his words could have been misunderstood as having more intimate implications. This, in turn, led to the burning of my cheeks and the perpetual racing of my heart nonetheless.

"Yours." I say simply, crossing my arms in an attempt to appear nonchalant. I then stepped out of the elevator first after the doors had opened and the little chime had gone off.

Jongin slides his keycard and opens the door for me to step into his room. I walk inside to find it strikingly similar to my hotel room, which wasn't really surprising I guess since our rooms are right beside each other. I walk over to the sofa and slump myself down with an exhausted sigh as Jongin goes to the little kitchen area to pop open the wine bottle.

"Hey, thanks for tonight..." I say from my side of the room, as I look over my shoulder to watch him.

He pops open the cork with a little smile, before looking at me:

"No problem."

The silence that fills the room next is not at all unpleasant. I lie my head back on the sofa and close my eyes, as I hear the clinking of glass that he pours the wine into. After a few moments of this strangely soothing silence, I hear him walk over. I open my eyes and sit up straighter to see him handing me a glass of wine, filled gracefully to its tip.

I take the glass mouthing a small 'thank you' as he sits beside me.

"To the start of your modeling career, Miss Y/N." Jongin says playfully, as he hits his glass with mine.

I roll my eyes and hit my glass less enthusiastically with his, " _Cheers_."

As we both take our first sip of the notorious Cabernet Sauvignon, we immediately look at each other. It was utterly bitter and distasteful. Jongin coughs and sets his glass down immediately, bringing his hand to his mouth to gag. I cannot help but to laugh at him, as I too set my glass down and stand up quickly off the couch to get us both juice.

"Yah! What the heck...why does it taste like this..." Jongin complains, getting up and walking over behind me to inspect the large bottle he had just purchased.

I continue to laugh as I pour us both some orange juice, "I never liked wine." I admit.

"The taste is still in my mouth..." He laughs, as I hand him a glass of orange juice.

"Mine too..." I exclaim, as I down my cup of orange juice in an attempt to get rid of that bitter taste. I set my cup down back on the counter top and watch as he does the exact same thing.

" _Ah_ ~" He smiles brightly at me after setting his now empty glass down, "Much better."

I fill both our glasses with more orange juice and turn to lean my back against the counter as I bring the cup to my lips. We both bask in the silence for a few moments, simply sipping on the orange juice, too focused on getting the bitter taste out of our mouths. My curiosity suddenly gets the best of me:

"So... tell me about this model I'm going to meet tomorrow."

He stares down at me with slight amusement, "Well...I don't want to spoil anything..." He begins " _Don't you enjoy the element of surprise?_ "

"I think you've surprised me well enough already," I tell him, as I stare off into the distance, not really thinking about my words "with your kindness and all of this beauty you have given me the chance to experience..."

He is quiet for a while, and it kind of alarms me for a moment. I start to think that maybe I've said something wrong, something out of place. I look at him quickly.

But it is a mistake. It is a mistake to look at Kim Jongin, the charming photographer, when he is silent. It is a mistake in the same way it was a mistake to come all the way over to France, and laugh and sip orange juice with him when _the wine wasn't good._

Because of the way he looks at me. Because of the way he talks to me. The way his eyes glisten under dim light, glitter and shine and sparkle.  _Because of the way he makes me feel._

"Y/N?" His voice takes me out of my intense gaze into his eyes, and I jump slightly because of how startled I am. How far away he had me from reality...

I look away from him and avert my eyes to the ground beneath my feet with embarrassment. My fingertips feel colder now as they grip the glass with more pressure. But Jongin does not move away from me. I can feel his eyes on me and it makes my legs feel weak:

_"You're so...pretty..."_

And that was all I could take for an evening.

" _I think I need to leave._ " I say quickly, setting my glass down on the counter and attempting to exit as fast as I could.

But he stops me with a gentle grip on my arm. I stand where I am, and I still can't look at him. I want to crawl into a hole and hide there forever. I don't want anyone to see me. I don't know why. I feel like shit and I don't know why.

"Look at me." He says quietly, and his voice is so different from how gentle it usually is. It's full of concern. 

" _It's the lip gloss._ " I say flatly, turning my face to look at him quickly. The heat on my cheeks fades instantly as I convince myself that this situation is nothing, "It's the lip gloss that's making yo-"

" _Shut up._ " His expression is stoic and unreadable now, " _It's_ ** _you_** _._ "

I feel goosebumps suddenly travel up my arms at his words and the uncharacteristic tone of his voice. He lets go of his grip on my arm to hold my waist with both of his hands. 

My body tenses up and I try to move his hands off of me as my eyes sting. My head spins and I shake my head. I don't know why this was happening to me now. I don't know why it was _so hard to accept._

I feel my heart race alarmingly in my chest, as he leans in and locks his lips with the skin on the side of my neck. I move my hands quickly to his chest to push him away, but freeze when he starts sucking on the spot.

My entire body burns.

He pulls away gently, but keeps his hands locked firmly on my waist, pressing me firmly against the wall. He brings his lips to my ear, as I feel my breathing become unsteady:

" _Don't move._ "

There was something that changed about him when he told me to stay still. It was more of a command, and suddenly the cute photographer appeared in a completely different light. He wasn't stuttering or blushing anymore, and he wouldn't take no for an answer. 

My breath hitches when he leans back in and reconnects his lips with that same spot on the side of my neck. He's sucking on it so much to the point that it was starting to sting.

I feel my eyelids flutter indecisively between staying open or closed, as he leans closer to me and presses his body against mine. He starts moving his hands up and down my waist, as his teeth suck on that sore spot on my neck. Mindlessly, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer to my body, craving the warmth and giving into the pleasure that I wanted. 

He finally places a kiss on the really sore spot on my neck, before tracing his lips to my bare shoulder. He bites the top of my shoulder while snaking his knee right in between my legs. I swallow dryly tense up. My entire body felt like it was on fire.

"If you're still convinced that it's  _the lipgloss_  making me like this..." He starts in a low whisper, as he slides his hands to my hips and grinds himself against me with a dark blush, " _then I assume you put it all over your body too, because that's what I'm crazy about right now..._ "

This wasn't the gentle and shy photographer I knew.

"Your lipgloss...or this dress..." He pulls at the thin fabric of my clothing, " _these don't show me anything I haven't already seen..._ "

Jongin stares down at me as he tugs at a part of my dress, his gaze intense and hot. I move my hands to his shoulders and grind my knee carefully between his legs the same way he did to me. His eyes roll back ecstatically, as he suddenly leans his body closer to me. I hold him close as he grinds his body against mine, moaning into the crook of my neck:

" _Let me rip this off of you, jagiya..._ " He begs breathlessly as his hands grip the fabric on my waist roughly, " _I'll buy you a new one,_   _I'll buy you_ ** _twenty_** _new ones-_ "

He starts kissing me all over my neck as he continues to grind his hardness on my body. A moan escapes my lips upon the contact and my cheeks flush red:

" _No..._ " I pant, " _I can't do this, Jongin I can't..._ "

He is quiet as his breathing becomes more erratic. His hands find the hem of my dress and he pushes the material up slowly to reveal my legs. I shudder under his touch and bring my hands over to his knuckles to stop him before he can go further. He pulls his face from my neck and gazes into my eyes.

We are both frozen in this moment, unable to look away from each other. My heart feels like it has stopped along with the time and it becomes so hard to believe that all of this isn't just a dream. His eyes glisten as he stares at me and it only drives me wild.

I move my hands slowly and place them on his neck. He doesn't move as I give up on everything I believe in and kiss him, pulling him closer. 

When our lips touch it sends a jolt of energy through both of our bodies, as he is unfrozen and moving again now. His hands press me harder against the wall, mercilessly pushing the fabric of the dress well above my waist without disconnecting our lips for even a second.

I moan against his hot mouth as his short breaths seep onto my lips. My throat feels dry as his fingers tease me through the thin fabric of my underwear and I moan, my back starting to hurt from being pressed against the wall so hard. But it was worth it. All of this was worth it. 

He moves his lips away from my own and travels down to bite my collarbone roughly. I whimper and hold onto his incredibly toned shoulders as he continues to tease the heat in between my legs with his slender fingers. 

When I can't take it anymore I start to unbutton his shirt, my fingers stumbling over the silver buttons. He leans in and reconnects our lips as he slips his shirt off slowly and throws it aside. I move my hands to his surprisingly toned chest and press my palms against his cold body, feeling ecstatic sparks on my palms.

He stares down at me with an unfamiliar hunger in his eyes, but before we can continue he takes my hand into his and pulls me over towards the bedroom silently.

I stumble behind him without a choice as his grip on my hand was too tight to argue with. He wastes no time to push me onto the white sheets, climbing over me and reconnecting our lips passionately.

I moan against his mouth again but he shuts me up by biting my bottom lip. He is silent as he then slides the dress right over my head. He brings a hand to cup my breast as I bring my hand to his neck and pull him even closer. He squeezes my breast through my bra and moves his lips down my neck once more. My heart pounds loudly in my chest as my legs feel weaker and weaker with each passing second.

He unhooks my bra without my even noticing it and his lips are soon enclosed around my nipple. I feel a shiver go down my spine as he sucks on it and presses his hands in between my legs.

Jongin suddenly stops and lifts himself up to take off his pants. He unbuckles his belt and slides his pants off, throwing them aside before wrapping his fingers around the hem of my underwear. He looks at me as he pulls my underwear down gently and slips it out of my legs before throwing it aside. He leans down, pressing soft kisses on my thighs as I keep my legs shut. His cold palms grab my knees and he pushes my legs apart slowly.

He leans down on his elbows and buries his head in between my inner thighs, wrapping his arms around my legs and pulling my heat closer to his face. He does all sorts of things to my core with his mouth that I've never felt before. He kisses my heat like he's kissing my lips and applies pressure in my most sensitive area. My head spins with ecstasy as he teases me and the night never seems to come to an end.

I whimper at the wave of sensations that wash over me. My legs feel ticklish and the heat in my body only gets hotter. Jongin lifts his head from between my legs to capture my lips with his own. I feel my hips tighten at the sudden loss of contact, but he is quick to replace it with his slender fingers as he kisses me.

" _Jongin..._ " I pant, as he kisses my mouth with his messy breathing.

" _Mmm..._ " He moans, as he rubs his fingers against my heat slowly.

I can't take it anymore so I somehow find a way to flip us over and escape his teasing touches. He stares at me with longing in his eyes, as I feel his hardness poking from below me. He grabs my hips and starts grinding himself against me. I feel my legs grow weaker as I grip his shoulders tightly:

" _Ah..._ "

" _Noona..._ " He moans, his eyes narrowed lewdly.

I feel my body betray me as I collapse from the intensity of his hot grinding on my poor virgin body. My arms are too weak to keep myself up anymore and I fall onto his chest. He holds me close to him, wrapping his strong arms around me from behind as we both pant breathlessly. I feel bad because he was still hard, and I would have kept going but my stamina was spent and there was only so much teasing I could take before I let loose. 

"Sorry..." I pant as Jongin tightens his arms around me from behind. He leans into my hair and peppers kisses all over the back of my neck heatedly. Embarrassed, I bury my my face into the pillow. His fingers make little circles along my sides as he chuckles, slightly out of breath:

" _Tease_."

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to all ♡


	14. Watercolor

There are cold hands on my shoulders that shake my gently from my sleep. My eyelids are heavy and stubborn, not wanting to see any light as I manage to squint them open.

The first thing I see is too scandalous and I just want to pull the blanket over my eyes and hide. Jongin's hair is a mess, and he's half naked, only in his boxers as he tiredly pinches my cheek to wake me up:

" _We overslept..._ " He says softly, grabbing his phone and checking the time, " _we have to get to the shoot in like 30 minutes..._ "

I groan quietly as I sit up, not even realizing that the bed-sheets were the only thing covering my nude body. I am suddenly wide awake upon realizing my mistake. 

My cheeks burn as I pull the covers closer to me to hide my almost exposed chest. Jongin looks at me with a tired smile, before getting up and making his way over to the bathroom.

I can't believe last night was real. 

We didn't really have sex. It was just a bunch of teasing. Really hot, sensual, grinding-like-there's-no-tomorrow type of teasing. 

I wait for him to close the door behind him before I get off the bed and search for my clothes that he had thrown aside last night. I can't find my bra anywhere so I just grab my dress and underwear and slip them on before making my way over to my hotel room.

I freshen myself up and get changed into some jeans and a t-shirt. I comb through my hair once and splash some water on my face before I grab my bag and step out into the hallway. I see Jongin waiting for me by my door.

His head snaps up when he sees me, " _Ready?_ " He asks, to which I nod before we begin making our way hurriedly towards the elevator.

He presses the button to the first floor, " _We have like ten minutes to get there,_ " He says, as he impatiently taps his foot, " _We're gonna be late._ "

"Is the shoot not in this hotel?" I ask.

"No, that was the first part..." He explains, adjusting the strap on his equipment bag, "the second part is at a studio. We have to get a taxi."

He dashes out the hotel the second the elevator doors open and I follow behind him quickly. He lifts his hand and quickly hauls the first taxi that almost passes us. Thankfully, it stops and we rush inside. Jongin opens the door for me first before taking a seat next to me. He then leans in towards the seat and tells the driver something in French. Probably something like paying him double if he could get us there in 5 minutes.

The taxi driver steps on the pedal and rushes us to our location. Jongin lies back in his seat, slightly out of breath. He turns his head and looks at me with a sheepish smile.

 _"Sorry you were rushed this morning. I should have set an alarm for us..."_   he apologized.

I shake my head and laugh nervously:

"No, it's okay! I probably would have slept through it anyway..."

Jongin then starts staring at me longer and it only works to make me even more uncomfortable. The faint smile that plays his lips is already bad enough, but his eyes are glued to me now, deep in thoughts I knew were most likely about what happened last night.

He saw me naked. He was touching me. Tasting me. Grinding himself against me with animosity. He was a sex god last night.

I feel a blush creep up my cheeks and I immediately look away from the photographer, averting my eyes to my lap. He clears his throat and breaks his gaze away from me right after, mumbling an awkward and flustered apology.

He was a completely different person last night. He was bold and sexy, radiating charisma. But right now he was awkward and kind of fluffy.  _How was this even possible?_

We arrive at the studio five minutes late and Jongin immediately apologizes to the staff before rushing over to set up his equipment, leaving me behind. I frown and walk around, looking for the stylist named William.

I bite my lip and glance around at all of the people who were rushing around and trying to prepare the scene of the shoot. They all seemed too busy for me to even stop one and ask for what exactly I'm supposed to be doing right now. I bite my lip and glance around carelessly as I accidentally bump into someone.

"Sorry!" I say quickly, looking up to see a stunning man who was not French like everyone else around me.

He is quiet as he looks at me with slight curiosity. He didn't look angry or busy for that matter, as it seemed he was just wandering around like I was. I decide to take this opportunity to ask for help, but just as I am about to say the words, I feel an arm wrap around my shoulder from behind. Horrified, I turn my head to see who it is.

" _Bonjour~_ " William, the French stylist from yesterday's shoot, smiles down at me kindly as a wave of relief washes over me. 

I smile and laugh nervously at him.

"Have you two been introduced yet? This is Y/N," William tells the handsome man in front of me.

The mysterious man nods at me:

" _Nice to meet you._ "

William gestures towards the man:

"Y/N, this is  _Monsieur Suho._ You two are going to doing the shoot together today." William exclaims happily.  

I felt slight shock at the fact that the person I was modeling with today was a dude. I was expecting it to be some hot girl that would completely outdo me during the photoshoot. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. But at the same time I was not sure what to expect. 

"You can just call me Suho." He says eyeing me up and down before averting his gaze towards William, "Jongin chose  _her_?" 

" _Oui_." William nods, his arm still wrapped around me as he walked us over to the styling chairs.

There were two tables set up full with a chair and mirror. I sat down on one as the model named Suho took a seat by the one beside me. He leaned back in his seat and turned the chair to face us as William stared at me through the mirror while fluffing my hair:

" _I will be styling Mademoiselle first._ " William says playfully, placing his hands on my shoulders "Today is a monochrome day. So your hair will be more simple..." 

Suho waited patiently, scrolling through his phone as William to finished straightening and styling my hair in a much more elegant fashion than yesterday. I saw myself in the mirror and smiled, kind of loving what he had done:

"Woah..." I exclaim with wide eyes, as he finished off the look by spraying some product to keep it all in place.

William wasted no time after finishing up my hair to move onto Suho. He parted the male model's hair and gelled it up quickly before moving down to apply some makeup on his face. I watched William's work carefully, as he stroked the brush on Suho's glowing skin. It was like watching an artist paint on a beautiful canvas. I was in awe. 

The hour went by quickly as William gave Suho and I very dark and contemporary outfits to put on. He then added some finishing touches to our looks before taking us over to where the photoshoot would be. Jongin stepped away from his camera and met Suho with a very friendly smile. The two exchanged a brief hug, before Jongin came over to me and stared at me with his stunning eyes.

There was something bubbling at the pit of my stomach when I saw the way Jongin looked at me. I was nervous, even more after remembering what happened last night. I was confused and it wasn't helping at all with the self-esteem I would need for this shoot. 

 _"You look gorgeous."_   Jongin reassured me, giving my arms a gentle squeeze before taking his place behind his camera. 

I flashed a smile towards him before swallowing dryly. 

 _"Let me just finish setting up my lens and then we'll be good to go."_ Jongin said to us, as he adjusted the little details of his camera. 

Suho and I took our places in front of the bright lights and the monochrome decor. We waited silently, standing next to each other. He turned his head to glance at me but stopped to stare longer. I caught this with the corner of my eye and turned my head to look at him too. He squinted at my face:

_"You're not wearing any makeup?"_

_"Jongin doesn't want me to."_

Suho nods and averts his gaze to Jongin who had just finished setting up his camera. Jongin held a thumbs up and Suho took a few steps back to get slightly behind me. I didn't really know what I was supposed to do until I felt Suho's hands lock firmly around my waist. 

**FLASH.**

He then brought his hand up from my waist and slid it around my neck gently. I just froze where I was and tried to give the best expression I could. 

**FLASH.**

_"Good. Y/N can you look this way please?"_ Jongin asked sweetly.

**FLASH.**

_"I need more vibrancy from you, Y/N."_

**FLASH.**

_"More."_

**FLASH.**

_"Papillon d'hiver. Give me papillon d'hiver."_

**FLASH.**

" _There she is..._ " Jongin smiles faintly.

After a while of striking numerous poses with a guy that is ten times more prettier than me, we wrap up the photoshoot. Suho and I help Jongin pack up his equipment, and I soon realize that the two are closer than I thought when I see the way they talk to each other. It seemed that they were old friends.

The sun is still out as we step out of the studio, and Jongin quickly catches a taxi to take us back to the hotel. We are both silent the entire way back to the hotel for some reason. Jongin decides not to say a word to me and that's perfectly fine. I try not to think much of it.

We step inside the hotel and make our way into the elevator. At this point I expect him to say something as we go up, but he's still quiet and it begins to worry me. 

_Maybe I did something wrong?_

_No. I'm not gonna keep blaming myself over people's personal problems. Get it together Y/N._

The elevator dings and I waste no time to make my way quickly to my hotel room to escape the tense air. I search my bag for my keycard but I can't find it. I bite my lip and watch as Jongin unlocks his door. I walk over to him as he unlocks his door:

 _"I think you left it in my room."_   He says, before I can tell him. 

 _"Yea..."_   I laugh nervously. 

He steps into his room and sets his equipment bag down as I quickly make my way over to the bedroom where I last was. I blush as I see the bed, even though the room service had already made it like new again, what happened last night was sealed in my mind. I open the bedside table drawers and search them, but it is to avail. I can't find that damn card anywhere.

"Shit..." I curse, as I run a hand through my hair. 

I suddenly hear Jongin's footsteps as he enters the room. 

"I can't find it..." I say, before turning around to see him holding it in between his fingers, _"Oh."_   I walk over to him, feeling relieved. 

His expression is blank as he suddenly hides it behind his back. Confused, I try to grab it from behind him, but he holds it higher up above his head. I jump up and try to get it but I can't reach. I stop jumping and look at him with a frown:

_"Can I have it back?"_

"I don't want you to leave." He says suddenly.

I stare at him as my heart skips a beat from his words:

"What?"

Jongin looks at me with a blank face:

" _Are we just gonna pretend that last night didn't happen?_ " 

 

 

 


	15. Signal

_"Are we just gonna pretend that last night didn't happen?"_

I feel my cheeks burn as I look away from him and try to search for something to say back. I want to tell him that it was just a one time thing. That I had never really intended for it to happen at all. I want to tell him that I don't have feelings for him. 

I want to tell myself that I have not developed a crush on the handsome stranger who I've only known for a few days now. I want to tell myself I'm smarter than that.

_"Y/N."_

His voice snaps me out of my own rush of thoughts, as I look at him- at a complete loss for what to say. I swallow dryly and compose myself quickly, looking for a way to somehow get myself out of this situation:

 _"L-Last night? Pshhhh...we were drunk..."_   I say with the fakest laugh I can muster up.

 _"We were drunk on orange juice?"_   He replies sarcastically, as he looks at me with a little smile.

I sigh and cover my face with my hands in embarrassment. I didn't know what to do. I know it was bad to just spend the night with him like that and then act like nothing happened, but i just didn't know  _how_  to act in the first place. I was confused and I didn't want to hurt him. But more than anything, I didn't want to be the one that got hurt. 

 _"Aww..."_   Jongin laughs, as he pulls me into his chest and wraps his arms around me.

His chest is so warm, and I am about to hug him back when I suddenly feel his lips touch my ear, his cold breath hitting the surface of my skin:

 _"Did you like how I touched you?"_   He asked quietly, his tone low and dangerously seductive.

I feel my heart race as I suddenly pull away from him and look at him with horror. His gentle eyes meet mine and they glitter as he starts laughing at my reaction.

Later on in the day, Jongin and I had somehow ended up lazily lounging on the sofa in his hotel room with the TV switched on to some romantic comedy that we both decided to binge lifelessly. We were literally in the heart of Paris and had the whole city to explore, but for some reason the rain just killed our desire to go outside and we decided to spend the whole day inside, snuggled up in a blanket. Still, there was something warm about the whole situation that made me kind of jittery and happy.

"Oh my god, I think she's the one that had the abortion..." Jongin whispers over to me, as the episode comes to an end.

"Whaaat..." I gasp, and turn my head to look at him with wide eyes.

"Should I take the next episode?" He asks, as he picks up the remote.

I nod quickly, and he excitedly hits the button to play the next episode. He pulls the blanket closer to our bodies before lying back on the sofa with his arm casually draped around my shoulder. It's a friendly gesture. It's normal. I'll try not to overthink it.

But Jongin gradually becomes more and more problematic as the TV show we watch progresses and the plot thickens. His fingers start to play with my t-shirt sleeve, tracing little circles on the top of my arm mindlessly with his eyes fixed on the screen. I give up on following the episode, too flustered by him touching me so faintly. I just want it to end already so I can stop freaking out about him.

My body tenses up, and it isn't until I shift uncomfortably in my seat when Jongin finally notices, turning his head from staring at the screen to look at me. But I try not to look at him, fixing my gaze on the screen to show that I am unaffected by his gestures. In the end, it's the flush in my cheeks and the racing of my heart that gives it all away.

He tilts his head slightly and connects his lips with my neck, placing slow and sensual kisses along its side. I exhale as if I had been holding weights the entire hour:

_"J-Jongin..."_

_"Look at me."_   He says softly, as his lips trace down to presses gentle kisses on my collarbone.

I am hesitant at first, but when he begins to graze his teeth along my skin my breath hitches in my throat and I tilt my head just enough to meet his eyes. He smirks briefly at me upon seeing my gaze, quickly capturing my lips in a slow feverish kiss that leaves me with a static pulse.

I can't help but to lean in to the touch and kiss him back. He carefully snakes his hands around my waist, gripping my sides tightly to pull me closer to him as I hold onto his shoulders for support. He bites my bottom lip slightly, before pushing me to lie down on the sofa. He climbs on top of me slowly, his lips brushing my jaw and traveling all the way down to kiss and suck on my collarbone while his hands slide under my shirt. I want to kiss him and touch him more but my rationality is hitting me every second I try to enjoy his hands on my body or his lips on mine. My mind keeps telling me that this is a bad idea, screaming at me to stop.

"Jongin..."  I say breathlessly as he snakes his leg in between my legs.

 _"Mm..."_   he moans onto my neck, kissing the spot he left a mark on the night before.

"I feel like..."  I squeeze his shoulders as he continues to shower my body with kisses and love-bites,  _"I feel like I'm making a mistake."_

He sighs into my neck and pulls himself up so that our eyes can meet. I watch him pant on top of me, as his gaze glazes over my entire figure before resting on my face. His tongue peeks out from his mouth to wet his bottom lip, as his expression softens slightly:

_"Then let's get drunk again."_

My eyes follow his figure as he walks across the room and comes back with a large bottle of vodka. I sit up slowly and I watch him with intrigue, his expression mysterious as he unscrewed the top of the bottle and drank from it, almost desperately. He exhaled softly and handed me the bottle after he had finished drinking from it. I cringed at the cold glass on my fingertips as I brought the tip of the bottle to my lips and drank from it slowly.

I felt the liquid slither its way into my mouth, the taste bitter as it burned the back of my throat and set my entire body ablaze. I coughed slightly, moving the bottle away from my lips as my eyes stung and became blurry. Jongin rubbed my back soothingly as he took the bottle away from me. I felt the large gulps of alcohol travel down my body and numb my entire being, as I buried my face in my hands and sighed. He leaned in suddenly, his lips on my ear:

 _"Wrap your arms around my neck."_   He whispered, his tone dangerously low.

I moved my face out of my hands and turned my head to look at him as his eyes melted into mine. My body moved on its own, my arms slowly wrapping around his neck like he had told me to. I was confused and dizzy, but soon felt him scoop me up into his arms and carry me over to his bed. I felt my heart rate slow down as he placed me carefully on the mattress and stood over me, staring at me with an unreadable expression. 

His hands suddenly reached for his camera, his eyes glossed over with intoxication as he took countless photos of me while I was just lying there on his bed. My entire body had begun to feel hot with the blood rushing in my veins, a desire for his touch suddenly building up within me. 

 _"Please stay still, jagiya..."_   He said breathlessly, as he snapped a dozen more photos of me,  _"please..."_

"It hurts my eyes..." I whined, bringing a hand to cover my eyes from the flash " _why are you taking so many...? "_

Jongin cursed under his breath and climbed on top of me suddenly, tossing his camera aside to the end of the bed as he leaned over and captured my lips in a desperate kiss that he had been holding back. His lips tasted so plump and sweet, still holding that bitterness from the vodka as I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his neck to pull him closer. 

And as the night fell and the stars shined, I felt his body against mine. I let myself fall out of time, to a place so darkly divine, where he whispered that everything was okay...

Everything was fine. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is going to get darker and darker from here on out, loves... ✧


End file.
